Brake system for a roller type conveyor



April 11, 1961 N. M. SULLIVAN BRAKE SYSTEM FOR A ROLLER TYPE coNvEYoR 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed OC'L. '7. 1957 R INVENTOR. NORMAN M. SULLIVAN BY CORBETT, MAHONEY, MlLLER RAMBO,ATTYS WWW@ April l1, 1961 N M. suLLxvAN BRAKE SYSTEM RoR A ROLLER TYPE coNvEYoR 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Oct. 7, 1957 FIG. 3

NORMAN M. SULLIVAN FIG. 6

F IG. 5 BY coRBETT, MAHoNEY, MILLERA RAMBo. ATTY's April 11, 1961 N. M. SULLIVAN 2,979,177

BRAKE SYSTEM FOR A ROLLER TYPE coNvEYoR Filed oct. 7, 1957 s sheets-sheet s FIG.7

FIG. 8

INVENTOR. NORMAN M. SULLIVAN CORBETT, MAHONEY, MILLER RAMBO, ATTYS.

United State BRAKE SYSTEM non A z-RoLLnRxTYnn coNvEYon Norman M. Sullivan, Cincinnati, Ohio, `assigner to The Alvey-Ferguson Company, Cincinnati, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio i considerable due to the cost of such articles. It, therefore,`

would be desirable to provide some type of. braking system for conveyors of this type so that articles moving along the conveyor could be kept Vunder control.

It is the main object of this invention to provide a friction vtype'brake-system for use in connection With roller type conveyors whereby the speed of movement of articles rolling along the conveyor can be controlled.

l'It is another object of this invention to provide a brakingsystem ofthe type indicated which is of such a nature thatif thesystem fails for any reason, the brake will be automatically applied.

AIt is a further object of this invention to provide a system of the-typeindicated which is of very simple constructiony andrelatively inexpensive to fabricate and apply to a-conveyor of the type indicated.

Various other advantages will be apparent.

In the accompanying drawings, preferred embodiments ofthis invention are illustrated but it is to be understood that details thereof may be varied without departing from basic principles of this invention.

In thesel drawings:

Figure-1 isa 'side elevational View, partly broken away, showing onezexample of this'invention in association with aroller typegravity feed conveyor unit forfapplying` the braking forceto'the'rollers thereof. n

VFigure 21's :a front end elevational view'of the conveyor unit shown in Figure 1 taken 'along line 2-'2 of Figurel.

Figure 3 'is a transverse vertical sectional view taken along line 3-23 of f'Figure .l showing the brake applied.

lFigure 4vis l'asimilar'view but showing the brake released.

fFi'gure S'zis a -rdetail in top plantaken along line 5--5 of Figure 4.

Figure 6 isa detail: in bottom plan taken along line 6-16 of `Figure f4.

`,Figure 7iis aview-sim'ilar toFi'g'ureS but showing the invention inassociation with another roller type gravity feed conveyor unit for vapplying"the:braking force directly to the articles carried on the conveyor unit, the brake being shownfapplied.

,Figure 8 is `aview-'sirnilar to Figure 7 but showing the brakereleased.

Figure 9 is `an end view of a conveyor unit of the type indicated inFigures 7 and V8 showing the braking system associated therewith.

With particular reference to the drawings, and especially toFigures l and `2, thisinvention is shown applied to For example, in.

2,979,177 Patented 11, 1961 verse'ly disposed rollers 13 arernountedin a suitable man#l ner. These rollers arelmounted-for free rotation relative to the beams and are-disposed in slightly'spaced relationship with their axes parallel. The entire unit -10 is yinclined downwardly, as .exaggerated in Figure 1, in the direction of desired movement of the articles -so that articles .placed thereon will feed along the conveyonunit by gravity. In the yexample shown in Figure Y1,-'the conveyor unit .110 is supported'in inclined positionon a'frarnev 14 .but it -is vto be understood that'this is for illustration only and that-the conveyor unit may be supported invinclined positionbyother arrangements. v Y

:As previously indicated, the rollers 13l arerusually freely rotatable and are not under any control. According 'to this invention, however, a brake system of-a friction type is provided in-.associationwith therollers sothatthe 4rotation of the rollers can always be controlled or can -be completelystopped, if desired.

This brake system comprises a friction shoer15 which, asshown in Figure 1V, preferably extends the-full length of the conveyor unit `1t). This shoe 15, yas indicated ybest in Figures -3 .and 4, will be disposeddirectly beneathfthe rollers 13, .preferably midway between the ends thereof, and is mounted for movementin a planeperpendicular to the plane of the rollers. This `shoe v15 is preferablyin-the form of aflat plank or` strip of wood although otherfmaterials may be used. The shoe15 is supported by brake applying and releasing units 16 disposed atlongitudinally spaced intervals. v

Each' of the units 16 .comprises a square metal .-plate 17 whichisrattache'd to the lower surface-ofthe shoe 15 by screws .18er other suitable means. Passingrdownwardly through this'plate at the corners thereof are the bolts 19 provided fwith-the heads 20. -T he threadedaends of these ybolts .pass slidably through openings insfaniinverted channel member `21 which extends the entire length of the conveyor unit r10'. This inverted channel 7.1 extends beneath and is rigidly secured. to all the :cross braces Y12, for example, by welding. Suspended from the-lower ends-of the` bolts l1-9 isa cradle ,channel2,2,` the bolts being provided with nuts .231uponwhich -thezchanne1.22 rests. The uprightchannel-ll'isdisposed within the inverted` cha-nnel 21 and extends thevfull lengthftheref of. The cradle channel `22 receives Va exible conduit 24which can `be expanded and contracted by fluid .pressure, for example, by airpressure. Thefchannelszleand 22 serve as aLhousing-for the'conduit 24. 4This conduit Z4 is preferablysimilar tosafire/hose land is ofreinforced exible Wall construction. lThe lowery surface of .the sin verted channel 21 may carry `a 'non-metallic-rprotective pad 25 which-will engage-the top surface of the conduit The lower surfaceoteach plate 17 is provided with,.a cylindrical spring centering boss 26Which reeeivesihe upper-endof acompression spring `27 Ythat forrns..a..paft

of each unit 16; -The lower end .of Aeach .spring vlfiits.`

around a similar boss .28 .onthe upper surfaceoftheinverted channeLZl. :Each spring f2.7 is .contracted'fromits normal condition,.as indicated in Figure 4, withzthe conduit -24 inflated. This .is due Vto the fact vthat .inflation of the conduit 24 will push downwardly on the-:channel 22 therebyexertinga downwardpullon the rsetof .bolts 19 of each unit 16.and the'plate 17 thereofso as -to .cornpress all of thesprings27 andmove .the.shoe15,thi:ough l `out its length. away fromthe rollers 13. However, when the conduit 24 is deflated, as shown in Figure 3, the springs 27 will expand to their original condition, since the channel 22 will be permitted to move farther upwardly within the inverted channel 21 but not in contact therewith, thereby permitting the plates 17 and the shoe 15 to move upwardly. The shoe will thus frictionally engage the lower sides of the rollers, as shown in Figure 3.

As indicated in Figure l, the conduit 24 extends the full length of the conveyor unit between the continuous channels 21 and 22. Control of flow of fluid into and out of the hose 24 to release or apply the brake system may be accomplished with a suitable manuallyoperated valve, indicated diagrammatically at 30, in the fluid supply line 31 which is connected to the conduit 24.

As long as the pressure in the conduit 24 is applied, the brake system will be in released condition, as shown in Figure 4, since the springs 27 will be contracted, thereby moving the shoe away from the rollers 13. However, as soon as pressure is released from the conduit 24 the brake system is applied, as shown in Figure 3, by expansion of the springs 27 which causes movement of the shoe 15 into contact with the rollers 13. Thus, in case of failure of the brake system, for example, if the conduit 24 breaks or leaks, the brake will be applied due to release of the springs 26.

In Figures 7, 8 and 9, there is illustrated a modified type of conveyor unit 10a to which the braking system of this invention can be applied. In this instance, the freely rotatable rollers 13a are arranged in two separate rows. Articles A rest on the two rows of rollers 13a and bridge the space therebetween. These articles will feed by gravity along the two rows of rollers since the conveyor unit 10a will be inclined, as indicated in Figure 9. Each row of rollers may be carried by an outer channel 11a and by an inner angle 11b to which the transverse angles 12a are secured.

In this instance, the brake shoe 15a is mounted for vertical movement between the angles 11b extending substantially parallel to said angles and preferably located midway therebetween. The shoe 15a is under control of brake releasing and applying units as in the structure described above. The shoe 15a is carried by the plates 17a exactly as before and these plates are mounted by the bolts 19a for vertical movement relative to the fixed inverted channel 21a. As before, the cradle channel 22a is disposed within the inverted channel 21a and is carried by the lower ends of the bolts 19a for vertical movement therewith. The inflatable conduit 24a in cooperation with the springs 27a control application and release of the brake exactly as before. However, the braking force exerted by the shoe 15a is applied directly to the articles A supported along the conveyor, it being understood that the brake shoe preferably extends the full length of the conveyor unit.

In the operation of this form of the invention, as long as the pressure in the conduit 24a is applied, the brake system will be in released condition as shown in Figure 8, since the springs 27a will be contracted, thereby moving the shoe 15a away from the lower surfaces of the articles A. However, whenever pressureis released from the conduit 24a, the brake system is applied as shown in Figure 7, by expansion of the springs 27a which cause movement of the shoe 15a into contact with the lower surfaces of the articles A. Thus, in this form of the invention, the braking action is applied directly to the articles A rather than to the rollers. As shown in Figure 3. is indicated diagrammatically in Figure 9. This valve can therefore be controlled from a remote location and may be controlled automatically if desired.

According to this invention there is provided a braking system for a gravity feed roller type conveyor wherein resiliently yieldable means tends to apply the brake and fluid pressure actuated means is operable to release the brake.

It will be apparent from the above description that this invention provides for a simple and inexpensive brake system whereby the articles on gravity feed roller type conveyors are completely under control at all times. In case of failure of the brake system, movement of the articles on the conveyor unit is automatically stopped by application of the brake.

Various other advantages will be apparent.

According to the provisions of the patent statutes, the principles of this invention have been explained and have been illustrated and described in what is now considered to represent the best embodiment. However, it is to be understood that, within the scope of the appended claims, the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically illustrated and described.

Having thus described this invention, what is claimed 1. In combination with a gravity feed, roller-type conveyor including a supporting frame and a plurality of article-supporting and conveying rollers rotatably carried by said frame; a brake shoe positioned longitudinally in said frame and movable toward and away from a braking position; brake-applying and releasing units supported by said frame and disposed along said shoe; each of said units comprising a shoe-supporting bracket attached to said shoe and movable therewith, a relatively fixed bracket supported by said frame, a compression spring positioned between said shoe-supporting bracket and said fixed bracket and arranged normally to maintain said shoe in a braking position, a conduit-confining bracket disposed in spaced relation to said fixed bracket and connected for movement with said shoe-supporting bracket; and a flexible fluid-pressure inflatable conduit v positioned between the fixed bracket and the conduit-conshoe-supporting bracket comprises a plate attached to the lower surface of said shoe and provided with a plurality of depending bolts which pass slidably through said fixed bracket, and said fixed bracket comprises an inverted channel extending substantially the full length of said conveyor,

and wherein said conduit-confining bracket comprises a Y channel-shaped cradle secured to the lower ends of said 7, the springs 27a preferably are not of sufficient strength bolts in coextensive relation with said fixed bracket and movable with said bolts relative to said fixed bracket upon inflation of said conduit.

3. The combination defined n claim 1, wherein the rollers of said conveyor extend continuously across said frame, and wherein said brake shoe is arranged to frictionally engage each of said rollers to prevent rotation thereof when said shoe occupies its braking position.

4. The combination defined in claim l, wherein said rollers are disposed in transversely spaced, parallel rows extending longitudinally of said frame, and wherein said brake shoe is arranged to frictionally engage articles supported upon said rollers when said shoe occupies its braking position.

5. In a gravity feed conveyor including a supporting frame and a plurality of transversely disposed, longitudinally spaced rollers rotatably carried by said frame and having upper segments thereof defining an antifriction conveyor bed; releasable brake means comprising an elongated brake shoe extending longitudinally substantially the full length of said conveyor beneath said rollers and movable into and out of frictional engagement with 5 the under surface of each of said rollers; resiliently contractibie spring means connected with said shoe and arranged normally to maintain said shoe in fctional engagement with each of said rollers; a first conduit-confining channel means extending longitudinally of said conveyor and connected to and movable with said brake shoe; a second conduit-confining channel means stationan'ly carried by said frame in opposed, coextensive relation to said rst conduit-confining channel means; and a fluidpressure expansible conduit arranged between said rst and second channel means and operable upon expansion to move said brake shoe out of frictional engagement with said rollers against the action of said spring means.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 742,722 Nelson Oct. 27, 1903 1,792,895 Cowlishaw Feb. 17, 1931 1,900,149 Anderson Mar. 7, 1933 2,193,481 Fawck Mar. 12, 1940 2,292,753 Gerald Aug. 1l, 1942 2,292,821 Caulkins Aug. 11, 1942 2,668,714 vHuck Feb. 9, 1954 

